Tufted textiles are typically made by providing a primary backing with yarns which form tufts on its side facing the user during use. Examples of tufted textiles include carpets, draperies and upholstery fabrics. Throughout the description, carpet is taken as an example of the tufted textiles for explaining the present invention. It will be understood that most of the advantages of the present invention explained in relation to carpets are also applicable for other types of tufted textiles such as draperies and upholstery fabrics.
Carpets generally comprise a primary backing layer provided with yarns forming tufts, a second backing layer, an adhesive layer provided between the primary backing layer and the second backing layer. The yarns penetrate the primary backing layer to form tufts projecting from the pile surface on which people can walk. Stitches are present on the opposite side. The adhesive layer present on the stitch side adheres the stitches to the primary backing layer and holds the tufts in place, as well as adhering the primary backing layer and the second backing layer.
As used in this description, the term ‘second backing layer’ includes the backing layer which forms the surface of the carpet opposite from the pile surface. Such a layer is usually referred as a ‘secondary backing layer’ and is commercially available. These ‘secondary backing layers’ have an advantage that they are well-suited for carpet backing and fit in well with the carpet manufacturing method used in carpet factories. However, it is to be noted that a second backing layer is not restricted to a secondary backing layer, and further layers may be present on the side of the second backing layer facing away from the adhesive layer.
For many applications, it is required for the carpets to pass a number of tests. The carpets may be tested for, among other things, appearance retention, colorfastness to light, cleaning and crocking, tuft bind, delamination strength and electrostatic propensity. An appearance retention test may be performed using the Hexapod Drum, Vettermann Drum or Tetrapod Drum. In these tests, a ball with multiple projections modeling feet tumbles over the pile surface of a carpet, and the appearance is subsequently evaluated. Examples of the appearance retention test method are described in ISO TR 10361 and ISO/CD 12950 and ASTM D-5252 of Hexampod Drum Tester guidelines. The delamination strength of the second backing layer from the primary backing may be performed according to a test described in ASTM D-3936. A test for the strength of the adhesion of the stitches to the backing layer structure may be ASTM D1355. The second backing layer of the carpet also may need to be tested for air permeability. During curing of the binders, vaporized binders must be able to escape from the backings. The air permeability of the second backing layer may be tested according to ASTM D-737.
WO2006/057531 discloses a light emitting mat for vehicles. The light-emitting mat comprises a carpet part covered with lots of cilia for the purposes of soundproofing, warmth and impact-absorption and having an opening at a portion thereof; a transparent decoration plate having decorative patterns which correspond to a shape of the opening of the carpet part and supporting the carpet part; a support plate having a recess with a shape which corresponds to the shapes of the opening and the decorative patterns for supporting the transparent decoration plate; a transparent light-emitting plate having a size that allows it to be mounted in the recess of the support plate; a plurality of LEDs installed in a plurality of insertion grooves, respectively, formed along edges of the transparent light-emitting plate; a power supply unit for supplying electric power to the light-emitting diodes; and a binder for binding the carpet part, the transparent decoration plate and the support plate.
In such an arrangement, the cilia are not present in the part of the opening in the carpet part, above the light emitting plate. This opening part without cilia does not have soundproofing, warmth and impact-absorption properties. This results in that the light-emitting part has a restriction in its size.